


The Puppeteer

by OfTheDunedain



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Belphie is mentioned, From Chapter 15, Gen, Octome 2020, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:27:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27011245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfTheDunedain/pseuds/OfTheDunedain
Summary: Diavolo’s handsome face immediately hardened into a frown, and you could not tell if the glint of his golden eyes was a trick of your imagination, the light of the room, or a glimpse of some kind of power flare.--Contains spoilers for Obey Me, chapter 15.Octome 2020, Day 15: Sus(picious)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 25





	The Puppeteer

“But Belphegor didn’t actually _do_ anything,” you pressed.

“That’s right! He mighta _talked_ about destroyin’ the human realm and stuff, but he never actually went and did it!” Mammon echoed.

“Yeah, that would sound _way_ more convincing if you weren’t using (Y/N) as a shield, Mammon,” Levi grumbled.

A quick shove from the otaku and blurted _“oi”_ later, and the Avatar of Greed was once more out from behind you.

You were neither surprised nor disappointed—still, you found yourself lifting a prayer that God would take pity on his stupid sons just long enough for this circus of monkeys to _not_ end up getting Belphegor killed.

Diavolo’s handsome face immediately hardened into a frown, and you could not tell if the glint of his golden eyes was a trick of your imagination, the light of the room, or a glimpse of some kind of power flare. “I can’t forget my position or my mission, you see. And, let’s not forget Belphegor is your brother, Lucifer.” His eyes slid away from you, settling instead on the tall, dark-haired form at your flank.

Lucifer’s body grew rigid as his gloved hands clenched into fists at his side.

“You are known as the Seven Rulers of the Underworld—and that’s far more than just a fancy title,” Diavolo continued. “You and your family have great power here in the Devildom. And you know what they say—with great power comes great responsibility.” Perhaps it never graced his lips, though you were positive that something akin to a smile flashed through the prince’s expression; suddenly, he did not seem quite the soup kitchen manager you had taken him for any longer. “We may be a bunch of demons, but even we still have rules,” Diavolo hummed. “Surely you can understand why I can’t give Belphegor special treatment…?”

Well, truthfully, you agreed in a way. Nobody should be above the law, even if they were the ones who created them—and a quick glance about the brothers around you let you know they, too, seemed to be treading along the same vein of thought. Still, something uneasy settled in your stomach regardless, and you hurriedly—perhaps frantically—turned back to the prince.

“You’re wrong!” You blurted before your mind had a chance to temper the statement with the appropriate reverence. You felt the eyes in the room snap to you, and you almost cowered under Diavolo and Barbatos’ gazes in particular.

“Am I, now?” Diavolo drawled in question. “And what makes you say that?”

The hook of gloved fingers around your wrist let you know that Lucifer was less than thrilled with your outburst, though you noted his grip was not painful. Perhaps he was worried; you could not spare him a glance to know for sure.

“I can’t believe you said that out loud,” Leviathan hissed, his whisper gusting past your ear in troubled tones.

Yeah, you could not really believe it yourself, but you could not spare him a look, either. Your insides felt like they were a living cage for a thousand birds beating their wings. “F-forgive me for speaking so frankly. What I mean is—Lord Diavolo, if he never broke any laws outright, it’s not special treatment to release him, is it?”

Barbatos’ eyes narrowed upon you. You still thought _Lucifer_ had the most unsettling, nightmarish glare in all the Devildom—still, Diavolo’s steward? A close, _close_ second. You shuddered. All Lord Diavolo did, though, was hum.

“I’m here for this exchange as a representative of the Human Realm, right?” You added. Lucifer’s fingers tightened around your wrist, and you wondered if he could feel the rampant pace of your heartbeat through his black leather gloves. “If his intended crime was against _my_ world, it seems fair that I should have a say in the manner of his punishment.”

“(Y/N),” Lucifer murmured in warning, and you felt him tug on you as if eager to suddenly tuck you out of sight.

Diavolo, though, held up a hand, and the Avatar of Pride immediately fell still. “Interesting interpretation of how I should handle my own realm and laws,” Diavolo remarked, tone dark and dripping in amusement. “Though, even I cannot fault your logic.”

His long fingers tapped against his elbow as his head tilted to examine you; his study was nearly enough to knock your legs right out from under you, and while you found it curious that he glanced to Barbatos after a moment as if seeking a silent conversation with him, you could not help but feel relieved he was no longer eyeing _you_. 

The smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth, however, made your chest feel tight, as if your lungs could not quite expand to draw in air at all. “Very well. How about we do this?” Diavolo remarked, sweeping forward to cup your chin in his hand, forcing your eyes to meet his own. His grip was not painful, but it certainly was disconcerting; perhaps it was equally as strange to see, for you could feel the demons from the House of Lamentation shifting around you as if unsure what they should be doing now that the prince of all Devildom had laid a hand on you. “I’m going to assign you a special task,” Diavolo explained, seemingly not caring that every eye was upon you both. “ _If_ you can manage to complete it all by yourself, I’ll let Belphegor go free.”

If your heart beat any wilder, your ribs were going to start chipping.

For a moment you were silent, mind turning over his words. A job in exchange for Belphie’s freedom? You doubted it was going to be easy to accomplish if that was all Diavolo was going to ask for. Still, if you had any shot at all to make sure all seven of the demons you had come to know got to be reunited, if you could keep the pained, shattered expressions you had seen as they reminisced about Lilith from their faces, you knew there was only one answer you could give.

“All right, I’ll do it. What’s the task?”

Immediately Diavolo smiled, and you felt his hand leave your chin as he stepped back. “Yes, I thought you’d say that,” he hummed to you.

“Diavolo,” Lucifer pressed. “What are you…?”

“Now allow me to explain,” Diavolo quipped, arms crossing over his chest. “There’s one thing about the events here that’s bothering me. I want clarification, and (Y/N) is going to provide it.”

Lucifer took a step closer to your side, brow furrowing. “And what would that be?”

“Lucifer, surely you have already wondered yourself,” Diavolo answered. “You had sealed Belphegor in the attic using _very_ powerful magic—in fact, it was a spell that could only be undone through the combined power of six members of your family—excluding Belphegor. Correct?”

“Yes…that’s right,” Lucifer answered slowly. The dark-haired demon’s lips flickered downward; perhaps he had not given it much thought yet, though you had. Your mouth felt dry.

“Now, (Y/N) has not made a pact with you, Lucifer, and yet the door still opened,” the prince hummed, peering down at you once more. “What you’re going to do, with a bit of help from Barbatos, is ascertain _exactly_ who it was that released Belphie. If a third party is involved in all of this, and has the power to outwit Lucifer’s spellcraft, I want to know about it.”

Honestly, you had been kind of hoping that Lucifer had somehow made a mistake on the seal—something that maybe allowed the release to trigger with _five_ instead of six brothers’ powers. After all, they had stormed into the library, all thinking of Belphegor at the same time…

But if it _was_ a third party, whomever it was had to be more dangerous than Lucifer, right? Your cheek paled, and Lucifer frowned at you in concern. Maybe Diavolo expected you to back out now that you knew.

But if you did back out, and Belphegor was executed for treason, would you be able to look the demons you had come to care for in the eye ever again?

Your jaw clenched. “All right,” you declared quietly. “I’ll do it.”

“Woah, hey, aren’t ya gonna at least think about it first?!” Mammon blurted hurriedly. You could feel his hand grip at your bicep, his fingers firm and hold urgent. “Ya know what Barbatos’ powers are, don’t ya? He’s gonna send ya _back in time_ , (Y/N)!”

Your eyes flashed and moved to Mammon in surprise; time travel? That was _possible_? You had kind of assumed that this would be plain detective work—not that you could, or _would_ , change your answer now. “It doesn’t matter,” you tried to dismiss, ignoring the knots in your tummy. “If this is the best chance Belphie has, I’ve got to take it.”

“All by yourself, though?” Leviathan asked, brow furrowing. “…Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yeah, what if this demon’s some big shot, huh? We can’t let (Y/N) do somethin’ like this alone,” Mammon added in agreement. His hold tightened, as if he did not want you to slip through his fingers.

You half expected Lucifer to scold him for speaking out of turn, so you were absolutely taken aback when Lucifer set his lips in a grim line and nodded. “Someone should be there just in case. One of us could go along—it could be anyone—”

“(Y/N) is to go alone,” Diavolo interrupted, his face for a moment hardening. “ _That_ is my condition.”

“Diavolo,” Lucfier pressed. Still, the bend of his brow relayed perhaps he already knew his protest was going to be fruitless.

You set a hand on his arm, giving him a small, rueful smile. “It’s all right, Lucifer,” you murmured to him. “I wouldn’t have agreed if I wasn’t willing to give it a shot.”

“(Y/N)…” The dark-haired demon sighed, the worry knitting upon his face softening somewhat. The soft look in his garnet eyes reminded you of standing in the library with him before this fiasco had even started. “Thank you. I’m sorry this has fallen to you, but…” His hand lifted, resting on your head. “It seems you’re the only one who can help Belphie now. Please, come through for him.”

The millennia of pain he had harbored, the secrets, the unrealistic expectations he had heaped upon himself—you could see them all now, swimming upon his face. You gave him a smile, hoping your look was as reassuring as possible. “I won’t let you down, Lucifer,” you promised.

You were going to save Belphie—or die trying.

“(Y/N),” a familiar rumble washed over you. You turned, finding Beel now but a pace away. His own face seemed shadowed, too, so you repeated the smile you had given to Lucifer for him. As if it were a welcome, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around you, that same vice grip as usual making it feel like your insides were steady once more. “Thank you. Belphie thanks you, too. But…be careful.”

“I will. I promise,” you assured him.

You could hear a pleasant sound filtering to your ear from beyond Beel’s frame, and though the sound was pleasant—you would even go so far as to say _beautiful_ —it took you a moment to recognize it as Satan’s laughter. “Forgive me for saying so, but you seem to have a penchant for getting yourself into trouble,” he hummed as Beelzebub finally released you. His green eyes were warm, though you could see a shade of concern clouding over his gaze. “So please, make sure you keep this promise, all right?”

The others agreed, too, if their looks were anything to go by; for being a pack of demons, you were fairly certain nobody beyond your parents had ever shone so much unadulterated care on you before.

“I suggest we waste no more time,” Barbatos hummed to you, and your smile dimmed somewhat as you looked to him and nodded resolutely.

“Right,” you murmured in answer. You took a step to follow, though paused. You could not explain why, but your stomach suddenly felt knotted—as if the demons you were leaving behind were slipping through your fingers. You paused, turning to look at each of them in turn. You wondered if your face showcased your worries plainly, or if even the most observant of your friends would be none the wiser to your innermost, whispering fear. You forced a smile for them regardless. “I’ll see you guys soon, okay?”

And, praying you were right, you finally turned, trailing after Barbatos as he began to lead you from the throne room.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a preview of what's to come in "A Lamb for the Table", but it fit so perfectly for this prompt today I am going to go ahead and post it as its own standalone scene. 
> 
> There is literally nobody more suspicious to me than Diavolo, because there is just no way the ruler of the Devildom is as innocent as the imagine he is trying to maintain. I mean, what kind of horde of demons would report to and follow the rules of a demon that wasn't very demonic? 
> 
> I just have this theory that everything--down to MC's acquisition into the exchange program--is because he has willed it to be so. A giant puppeteer, if you will. ;]
> 
> So, anyway, please enjoy this short scene for "sus" day! We're halfway through Octome, so soon I can actually go back to writing more and not pumping out artwork every day! Hahaha. 
> 
> Enjoy!


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